The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-11
LARGEST OPIUM DEN IN CHINA.
The Smokers Are of All C1asses-Receipts
About 81, 900 Daily.

North China Herald
The Nan gin-tsin. the greatest opium den in
China, is known throughout the length and
breadth of the empire TO the Chinese and it
helps to make Shanghai. regarded as city
and dissipation that Paris does the typical
Frenchman. In is situated IN the French con-
cession, in Shanghai. within a stones throw OF
the wall of the native city, within which
opium shops supposed to exist The charac-
ter of the place could not be guessed from its ex-
ternal appearance, although the air of the people
passing in and might suggest it. The
throngs visiting it represent all stations
of life from the coolie to the wealthy merchant
the small mandarin. 1t is with difficulty that
gets inside through the crowds of people
hanging around the door. Those who have not
the requisite number of copper cash to procure
the banefui pipe watch with horrible wistfulness
hurried step. or totter out wearing that peculiar
GaZed expression which comes after the smokers
craving has been satisfied and his transient
pleasure has passed away One requires
strong stomach to stand the sickening fumes
with which the air inside is thickened. The
clouds OF smoke, the dim light from the numer-
colored lamps, the numbers of reclining
forms with distorted faces bent over the small
flames at which the pipes are lighted, cause the
novice sickening sensation. But as soon as the
eye becomes accustomed to the scene it is noticed
that the place is got mp on an expensive scale.
In the center of the lower room hangs one OF
the finest of Chinese lamps the ceiling is of
richly carved wood, while the painted walls
are thickly inlaid with peculiarly marked
MARBLE which gives the idea of unfinished
landscape sketches. Numerous doors all
sides lead to the smokers apartments. In the
out por ton of the building stands counter COW
cred with little boxes of the drug ready for
smoking, which dozen assistants are kept busy
handing out to the servants who wait upon the
habitues of the place. The average daily
eeipts are said to be about 81 000 The smoking
apartments divided into four
classes. In the cheapest are coolies.
who pay about Id for their smoke, in the
dearest the smoke costs about I'd. The drug
is much the same both In quality and quantity.
It is the difference in the pipes that
regulates the price. The best kinds made of
ivory. the stem being often inlad with gold,
and rendered more costly by reason of elaborate
carving; the cheapest kinds are made simply of
hard wood. The rooms also furnished
cordine to class In the most expensive the
lounge upon which the smoker reclines is of fine
velvet. with pillows of the material; the
frames of each couch are inlaid with mother-of-
is of sensuous luxury. There is also a num-
Der of private rooms. In the poorer section may
be seen many wearers of the tattered yellow
and gray robes of Buddhist and Tavist
priests. Women form a fair proportion of
the smokers The common belief is that the
opium sleep is attended by mild. pleasurable
delirium with brief glances CT Elysium: but
this Is the exception not the rule. People smoke
to satisfy the craving begotten Of previous in
6ugance. There is accommodation for $50
smokers at a time, and there is seldom a vacancy
very long. The stream of smokers goes on
from early morning till midnight. when the
place closes: the clouds of smoke 60 up incess-
antly all day long. Europeans do not often visit
the place, but the seamen of American men-of-
visiting Shanghai sometimes seek solace in
the drug.